Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of the dermatophyte, Trichophyton mentagrophytes: an efficient tool for gene transfer.
Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) was used to facilitate gene transfer into the clinically important dermatophyte, Trichophyton mentagrophytes (teleomorph: Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii). A binary vector containing a hygromycin B resistance cassette was introduced into A. tumefaciens, and the resultant strain was co-cultivated with fungal small conidia. Transformation yielded a large number of hygromycin B-resistant transformants. Hybridization analysis showed that most of the transformants harboured a single copy of T-DNA randomly integrated into the genome. Transformation frequency was increased to more than 200 per 10(7) conidia by optimizing the co-cultivation time and temperature. ATMT was then used for targeted gene disruption mediated by homologous recombination. Using a PCR-based strategy, we isolated the areA/nit-2-like nitrogen regulatory gene (tnr:Trichophytonnitrogen regulator) from T. mentagrophytes. A binary vector containing two regions of the tnr locus flanking the hygromycin B resistance cassette was constructed and introduced into T. mentagrophytesvia ATMT. Transformants with disruption of the areA/nit-2-like gene (tnr) were obtained in three of four independent disruption experiments, most of which showed homologous recombination via double crossover without additional ectopic integration of the disruption construct.
Yamada
Tsuyoshi
T
Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology, Teikyo University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.
Makimura
Koichi
K
Satoh
Kazuo
K
Umeda
Yoshiko
Y
Ishihara
Yumiko
Y
Abe
Shigeru
S
D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens / Q000235:genetics*; D003883:Arthrodermataceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D013696:Temperature; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D014170:Transformation, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D014249:Trichophyton / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D014157:Transcription Factors